Your Entertainment Ticket

Pieta: Movie Review
by Yevette Renee Nelson

The Bottom Line
Violent and touching
Cast: Cho Min-soo, Lee Jung-jin
Writer-director: Kim Ki-duk

“Pieta”, South Korean premiere filmmaker Kim Ki-duk’s tragic tale starring Cho Min-soo and Lee Jung-jin
Intense and violent, the film suddenly turns touching and emotional as writer-director Kim Ki-duk’s Asian horror follows Kang-do (Lee Jung-jin) as he collects on loans for his employer, a loan shark. Victims are forced to sign an insurance policy that guarantees them money in the event they become disabled at work. When they do not make their payments, Kang-do commits atrocities in order to collect the insurance money. The film is definitely filled with hard scenes to watch.
Taking place in the slums of Cheonggyecheon, writer-director Ki-duk’s hometown, which are filled with small machine shops and all of the people living in poverty. You have the working poor willing to exchange their hands, arms and legs for cash. The issues of money as the root of their problems are made known all throughout the film.
Only one character mentions the eventual destruction of Cheonggyecheon. Soon, the small ramshackled shops will be demolished to make way for high rise buildings, housing financial institutions. The citizens have lived the life of machinist in this community for the past 50 years. It is the only means of work that they know.
It is hard to see the difference between the inhuman acts committed by Kang-do upon the people he collected money from and the inhuman acts committed by developers/financiers who displace generations of people and cut them off from their income and the only life they know. Both leave the people crippled.
Kang-do, a violent man, who’s sadistic and cruel ways against the frightened people he goes to collect from are without humanity. He exaggerates his wickedness of his ways by leaving bloody animal intestines all over his bathroom floor.
A woman suddenly appears at his door step, seemingly out of thin air, claiming to be his mother. He refuses to believe her but she persistently tells him it is she who left him as an infant. He cuts off a limb and demands that she eat it in order to prove herself to him. Still not believing she is his mother, he commits the unthinkable against her. Nothing he does stops her from showing him affection.
Kang-do eventually shows a tender side. Captivated by her, she becomes the most important person to him. He displays new found compassion and playfulness. Not to last long, the heartbreaking condition of the human spirit prevails.
Cinematographer Jo Yeong-jik scenes illustrate a dark, hand-held look that is influential in revealing the cruelty of the film’s horrific theme.
Together Cho and Lee deliver a spectacular performance portraying their relationship as that of Christian Pietà and the Virgin Mary who sorrowfully cradles the body of her dead son Jesus. An unsettling story against the backdrop of money as evil.

Opens May 17, 2013
Production companies: Good Films and Finecut
Cast: Cho Min-soo, Lee Jung-jin
Director: Kim Ki-duk
Screenwriter: Kim Ki-duk
Producer: Kim Soon-mo
Executive producers: Kim Ki-duk, Kim Woo-taek
Director of photography: Jo Yeong-jik
Production designer: Lee Hyun-joo
Editor: Kim Ki-duk
Music: Park In-young
No rating
Run time: 104 minutes

Review by John Delia

Picking up where he left off with the fine release of his first attempt at bringing back the Star Trek franchise, J.J. Abrams hits pay dirt again with Star Trek Into Darkness.  The exciting new chapter tantalizes the mind with amazing CGI and special effects while presenting an adventure that’s reminiscent of earlier challenges for the Enterprise.  It’s a powerhouse film fit for a long run. Read more…

AFTERSHOCK
Movie Review by Yevette Renee Nelson
Eli Roth (Hostel) goes in front of the camera to star in Chilean director’s Nicolas Lopez (Santos), first American film debut “AFTERSHOCK.” A gruesome tale of a group of tourists who finds themselves in a horrific earthquake in the beautiful coastal city of Valparaiso, Chile…
American tourist, who goes by the name Gringo, (Roth) enjoys the last days of his vacation in Chile with his new found friends and tour guides Pollo (Nicolas Martinez) and Ariel (Ariel Levy). After touring a vineyard tasting Cabernet, the three spends the evening bar hopping. On a quest to score with the ladies; recently separated Dad and lawyer from San Diego, Gringo strikes out at every turn with the women, including Selena Gomez in a cameo appearance.
The group runs into sisters Monica (Andrea Osvart) and Kylie (Lorenza Izzo) visiting from America, along with their Russian friend Irina (Natasha Yarovenko). The girls agree to go along with Gringo, Pollo and Ariel to the seaside town of Valparaiso for more partying. Just when you start getting a sense of who they are, disaster hits the crowded nightclub when a violent earthquake strikes, leaving the group running for their lives as they dodge collapsing buildings and lawlessness.
Ariel spends his time obsessively texting his ex girlfriend and has his hand severed off trying to save the club’s bartender. The six of them finally make it out of the club only to find their cars has been totally destroyed. With tsunami warnings blaring, looters ransacking and prisoners terrorizing the City, they make honorable attempts to help each other at time when they all suffer injuries, and self preservation is the order of the day. Who are the unlikely heroes during the gruesome and shocking fatalities?
Roth is a very likeable and anchors the film. Levy gives an animated performance, while of the three woman; Osvart is the one with the most depth.
A splatter-fest for certain, AFTERSHOCK is sure to stun with its brutal pandemonium.

I had the opportunity to sit at a round table with co-star Andrea Osvart and director/co-writer Nicolas Lopez to discuss their new film “AFTERSHOCK”
Yevette Renee Nelson This is your first horror film. Is this a genre you would like to do again?
Andrea Osvart: Yes. Why not? I have tried all kinds of genre. I see there is a great fan base for horror in the U.S.
Yevette Renee Nelson Who in the US would you like to work with? Which producers or actors?
Nicolas Lopez Eli. He will start making movies in Chile. We are working on a T.V show together. It is a horror and comedy show. There are a lot of directors that I admire. I like to work independently. The more money, the more problems you with making a film.

Opens May 10, 2013
Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hr 30 min.
Genres: Horror
Cast: Eli Roth, Andrea Osvart, Ariel Levy, Lorenza Izzo, Natasha Yarovenko and Nicolás Martínez
Director: Nicolas Lopez
Executive Producers Nicolás López (Eli Roth to designate credit) and James Holt
Producers: Eli Roth, Brian Oliver and Miguel Asensio Llamas
Written by Eli Roth (WGA credit app. is filed before credit is final) Nicolás López Guillermo Amoedo
Casting: Kelli Martin Wagner, CSA and Dominika Posseren
Special FX make-up: Felipe Figueroa
Special FXs: Patricio Aguilar
Costume Designers: Elisa Hormazabal and Jeremy Scott
Art director: Marichi Palacios
Music: Manuel Riveiro
Production Designer: Nelson Daniel
Editor: Diego Macho Gómez
Director of photography: Antonio Quercia

Review by John Delia

From the Ghibli studios that produced the wonderment of Ponyo and the Oscar winning Spirited Away, comes a story of romance and relationships that will tug at your heart strings. The animated film From Up on Poppy Hill comes to theaters this weekend with colorful visuals and it’s for families. Read more…

THE GREAT GATSBY
Review by Alyn Darnay
Directed by: Baz Luhrmann

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Elizabeth Debicki, Jack Thompson, Amitabh Bachchan

You’re going to hear a lot about Gatsby. From critics they’ll be negatives. From audiences watching, total concentrated, joyful, breathtaking silence. From me, a simple definition – Masterpiece: [mas-ter-pees, mah-ster-] noun 1. a person’s greatest piece of work, as in an art. 2. anything done with masterly skill. 3. a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind.

Despite what the jaded, unwashed world of movie review may say, this film is nothing short of Baz Luhrmann’s Masterpiece, wrapped around Oscar worthy acting performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Toby Maguire, stunning 3D technology, captivating visuals, and perfect music scoring. And, it’s all tied up around one of the greatest stories in American literature. I can’t imagine what more any film viewer could possibly want.
If you’re not familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous 1925 novel, required reading when I went to school, “The Great Gatsby” tells the story of a mysterious and dapper man of the “20’s” with a questionable past who appears to be wasting millions and millions of dollars in the pursuit of his lost love. However, the true genius of the tale is less its romantic scope and more a discovery of the disintegration of the American dream in an era of unprecedented prosperity and material excess.
Story line:
Would-be writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) arrives in New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loose morals, hot jazz, speakeasies, and a rocketing stock market. Renting a cottage to live in across the water from his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan), and her philandering, blue-blooded husband Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton), Nick lands next door to the mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). Slowly Nick is drawn into the entrancing world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. It is from Nick’s pen that the hidden story of this world unfolds.
Here in the forth film incarnation of the novel; Mr. Luhrmann has finally done justice to the source material. In order to do that, to express the contrasts of the times and to build to the excesses, uninhibited behavior, and chaos of his grand-scale Gatsby party centerpiece (a must see movie experience), he creates a film of rare depth filled with unrestrained visual excesses itself. A film about the excesses of the period made with excesses of our times by utilizing all the advanced filmmaking technology available to him today. Simply Brilliant.
Of course, DiCaprio’s Gatsby is perfection itself; his performance is simply mesmerizing. You won’t be able to look away. Tobey Maguire is equally arresting as our guide into Gatsby’s world. Joel Edgerton’s turn as Daisy’s entitled husband is spot on and Carey Mulligan shines as Gatsby’s woman of desire. Actually everyone in the cast is just wonderful.
All in all, THE GREAT GATSBY is a rare cinematic treat, not to be missed, and in this case I recommend you see it in 3D. Enjoy.
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5) “THE GREAT GATSBY” is rated PG-13 (for some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language). 2 hours 23 minutes

Review by John Delia

Getting a strong grasp on his characters and developing an edgy mystery, Francois Ozon pulls off a fine tale that cringes while it titillates. This fresh take on a different kind of predator puts In the House on a must list for those who like the unusual.  Well acted and directed this movie import really entertains those who like sharp edged films that are quite unpredictable.    Read more…

“You’re going to hear a lot about Gatsby”
Review by Alyn Darnay

Directed by: Baz Luhrmann

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Elizabeth Debicki, Jack Thompson, Amitabh Bachchan

You’re going to hear a lot about Gatsby. From critics they’ll be negatives. From audiences watching, total concentrated, joyful, breathtaking silence. From me, a simple definition – Masterpiece: [mas-ter-pees, mah-ster-] noun 1. a person’s greatest piece of work, as in an art. 2. anything done with masterly skill. 3. a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind.

Despite what the jaded, unwashed world of movie review may say, this film is nothing short of Baz Luhrmann’s Masterpiece, wrapped around Oscar worthy acting performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Toby Maguire, stunning 3D technology, captivating visuals, and perfect music scoring. And, it’s all tied up around one of the greatest stories in American literature. I can’t imagine what more any film viewer could possibly want.
If you’re not familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous 1925 novel, required reading when I went to school, “The Great Gatsby” tells the story of a mysterious and dapper man of the “20’s” with a questionable past who appears to be wasting millions and millions of dollars in the pursuit of his lost love. However, the true genius of the tale is less its romantic scope and more a discovery of the disintegration of the American dream in an era of unprecedented prosperity and material excess.

Carey Mulligan as Daisy and Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby

Story line:
Would-be writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) arrives in New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loose morals, hot jazz, speakeasies, and a rocketing stock market. Renting a cottage to live in across the water from his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan), and her philandering, blue-blooded husband Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton), Nick lands next door to the mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). Slowly Nick is drawn into the entrancing world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. It is from Nick’s pen that the hidden story of this world unfolds.
Here in the forth film incarnation of the novel; Mr. Luhrmann has finally done justice to the source material. In order to do that, to express the contrasts of the times and to build to the excesses, uninhibited behavior, and chaos of his grand-scale Gatsby party centerpiece (a must see movie experience), he creates a film of rare depth filled with unrestrained visual excesses itself. A film about the excesses of the period made with excesses of our times by utilizing all the advanced film making technology available to him today. Simply Brilliant.

Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan and Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker

Of course, DiCaprio’s Gatsby is perfection itself; his performance is simply mesmerizing. You won’t be able to look away. Tobey Maguire is equally arresting as our guide into Gatsby’s world. Joel Edgerton’s turn as Daisy’s entitled husband is spot on and Carey Mulligan shines as Gatsby’s woman of desire. Actually everyone in the cast is just wonderful.
All in all, THE GREAT GATSBY is a rare cinematic treat, not to be missed, and in this case I recommend you see it in 3D. Enjoy.
Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5) “THE GREAT GATSBY” is rated PG-13 (for some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language). 2 hours 23 minutes

Review by John Delia

Director Baz Luhrmann who lost with Moulin Rouge and lost again with Australia, takes a chance with an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel The Great Gatsby turning it into a pop-up book for the screen.  While the CGI and sets do sparkle, he turns the storyline into a simple predictive tome set in an era of flappers and illegal booze.  Luhrmann gets caught up inside of Fitzgerald’s bittersweet romance while undervaluing the class struggle between the newly rich and the underclass. Read more…

Review by John Delia

Probably the most powerful film for action addicts this year Iron Man 3 blazes the screen in 3D.  Robert Downey Jr. outdoes his last outing of the major action hero with his strong presence and tongue in cheek wit.  Whether you are a fan of Marvel or just looking for a great adventure film, check this one out.  It’s the film that keeps giving with chat way after you’ve left the theater, but don’t give away the surprise ending and stay for a last word at the end of the credits. Read more…